Yankee Candle Patchouli

I have a complicated relationship with patchouli. On one hand, I think it smells absolutely wonderful. On the other, it's entirely too strong for me most of the time. Now, I'm not sensitive to fragrances whatsoever, but I also don't like to be choking on an overpowering scent. I think my favorite incarnation of this classic fragrance is the Karma range from Lush – it perfects that spicy, heady scent without burning your nostrils. Will this candle do the same?

Remember this?

Yankee's description: "The spicy sweet aroma of exotic patchouli creates a perfectly mellow mood."

On cold sniff, Yankee Candle's Patchouli is a little bit strange. I smell the patchouli, sure, but the thing it reminds me of the most is the violet gum I used to get from the convenience store as a kid. Not sure how that happened... maybe the combination of the patchouli and the sweeter notes in this candle gives it that scent. As with yesterday's entry, this one is very nostalgic to me.

Unlike yesterday's entry, I really like how this smells when burning! It's a light, sweet take on patchouli which I appreciate. Yankee does list vanilla, cinnamon, and woody notes, which I think do a lot to soften the harshness of patchouli. It's sweet, it's spicy, it's a little bit incense-y, and it's absolutely wonderful. I've been burning this for roughly an hour and the scent is reaching me, but it isn't overpowering... it's juuust right. As stated above, I have a love-hate relationship with Patchouli, and I worried this might be too strong for me. But thankfully, that isn't the case! People complain about Yankee Candles not being strong enough for them, but I just don't agree. On most of my candles, I've found that the scent is present, but not overpowering, and that's what I like.

The beautiful label on my large jar of 
Patchouli.

Another thing I like about this candle is the wax color and the label. I would have expected a sort of brick color, as that's what most of the patchouli-scented products I've seen tend to go for, but this muted forest green is an unexpected and very pretty change. I also love the fact that because it's a "returning favorite", it's got a nice wide label reminiscent of the old style. It gives you a nice, full view of the cozy scene, featuring an ornate teapot and some very comfy looking pillows. I think it perfectly encapsulates the experience this candle provides – it's funky and exotic, yet mild enough to be relaxing. I think Yankee's description of this one is spot-on! 

What a perfect way to end the year. I started the year with one candle in my possession (small tumbler of Sugared Cinnamon Apple, you will be missed) and ended with ~20... funny how that works. I wonder how many I'll have by the end of next year! I'd like to think I'll keep myself in check, as one of my New Year's resolutions is to be more frugal, but I doubt it somehow...

And until next time... xx